Preliminary Study on the Geochemical Characterization of Viticis Fructus Cuticular Waxes: From Latitudinal Variation to Origin Authentication

Abstract

Viticis Fructus (VF), a fruit known for its unique flavor profile and various health benefits, demonstrates substantial quality variations depending on its area of production. Traditional methods of production area verification based on internal compound analysis are hampered by a number of technical limitations. This investigation systematically characterized the cuticular wax composition of VF sample from a diverse variety of production areas. Quantitative analyses were conducted to evaluate the spatial distribution patterns of the wax constituents. Significant regional variations were observed: Anhui sample exhibited the highest total wax content (21.39 μg/cm²), with n-alkanes dominating at 76.67%. High-latitude regions showed elevated triterpenoid acid levels, with maslinic acid (0.53 μg/cm²) and ursolic acid (0.34 μg/cm²) concentrations exceeding those of their low-latitude counterparts by four- and three-fold, respectively. Altitudinal influence manifested in long-chain alcohol accumulation, as triacontanol reached 0.87 μg/cm² in high-altitude sample. Five key biomarkers demonstrated direct quality correlations: eicosanoic acid, n-triacontane, dotriacontanol, β-amyrin, and α-amyrin. This study established three novel origin identification protocols: single-component quantification, multi-component wax profiling, and wax ratio analysis. This work not only reveals the latitudinal dependence of VF wax composition, but also provides a scientific framework for geographical authentication. Our findings advance wax-based quality evaluation methodologies for fruit products, offering practical solutions for production area verification challenges in food raw materials.

Keywords: Viticis Fructus; biomarkers; cuticular waxes; origin authentication; origin identification.